Title:
Non-occurrence of trapped surfaces and Black Holes in spherical gravitational collapse: An abridged version

Abstract: We have shown in that for arbitrary EOS and radiation transport properties,
(even) the idealized spherical gravitational collapse DOES NOT lead to the
formation of trapped surfaces: 2GM(r,t)/R <=1. Hence all singularity theorems
of Hawking, Penrose and Geroch, built on the assumption of formation of trapped
surfaces, get invalidated! And this inequality, demands that M->0 if indeed
R->0. We have shown that the final state corresponds to a zero mass BH state
and, this state would occur only after infinite proper time indicating that GR
is indeed the only naturally singularity free theory for isolated bodies (as
was cherished by Einstein). This M->0 state would materialize after the body
radiates its entire initial mass-energy. Thus there is no event horizon at any
finite R or M, and, therefore all the great theoretical confusions like whether
there could be (i) White Holes, (ii) whether t (R) becomes spacelike (timelike)
inside the EH (iii) Loss of information in gravitational collapse, and (iv)
validity of cosmic censorship conjecture get resolved. At any finite proper
time, the collapsed object would be either static (z<2) or may appear static (R
almost frozen) though, in extreme cases, internally, in terms of proper radial
length, it might be collapsing at a speed ~c! We call the latter as Eternally
Collapsing Objects.

Comments:

To be published in the Dec., 2000 issue of Foundation of Physics Letters. Several small changes, more discussion on the nature of Eternally Collapsing Objects (supposed BHs). The problem addressed from 4 directions, (i) Speed of the collapsing fluid must be less than c, (ii) In Sch. coordinates, the metric becomes null on the Event Horizon (EH), (iii) Even in Kruskal coordinates the metric becomes null on the EH, (iv) When crucial errors of Oppenheimer and Snyder paper are removed, they show that trapped surfaces are not allowed